Port Adelaide Wastewater upgrade begins

Work has begun on SA Water’s $2 million-plus upgrade to improve odour control at Port Adelaide Wastewater Pump Station with local contractor Waternish Constructions mobilising workers and equipment to the project site in West Lakes.

Setting up the Australian-made system will take six months and use three-stage odour control technology to give local residents a long-term fix for sewage smells detected around the facility.

SA Water’s General Manager Asset Operations and Delivery, Mark Gobbie, said SA Water has been using carbon filters to combat odours as an interim measure, but wanted to find the best, long-term option.

“We’ve done this by working with local residents and engaging on all aspects of the upgrade design, including the landscaping and colour scheme for the system, which features a 16.5m high vent stack for the treated, clean air,” Mr Gobbie said.

The three-stage method’s two biological processes, called biotrickling and bio filter, remove around 98 per cent of the sewage odours, while the third and final stage uses activated carbon to remove any other lingering aromas.

“We’re already using a similar system at our facilities in Parafield Gardens, so we know it’s highly effective,” Mr Gobbie said.

Equipment for the biological processes and stand-by fans for the pump station’s new back-up system are Australian-made.

“Our contractor and subcontractors are South Australian, and are bringing a range of skills to the project, including steel fabrication and process tank expertise,” Mr Gobbie said.

The Port Adelaide Wastewater Pump Station currently serves around 30,000 homes and businesses in Adelaide’s western suburbs and receives an average of 22.5 million litres of sewage every day.

“This upgrade, not only provides current residents with a long-term odour management solution, it’s an infrastructure investment that will support and sustain future population and economic growth for western Adelaide,” Mr Gobbie said.